Our Lost Souls

Hey guys! This is the re-vamp of my story! I hope you like it! It was meant to be an improvement, and also the story makes more sense this way.

I. Sophie's Rescue:

Sophie was ecstatic to finally be home, she had missed England so much after being stuck in France for years. She sighed as she gazed out of the carriage windows taking in England's archaic cathedrals, castles and markets, the ones she had dreamed about every night, anticipating when she would return home. She was being taken into her sister's estate, Heath Manor, where she would live at her sister's insistence.

"M' Lady, we're here." The coach called back to her, and she gazed once more out the carriage window.

"Oh my…" She gasped, as she took in the majestic architecture of the manor, and the vast gardens just at the front. She started as the large mahogany doors opened and her sister along with the servants poured out to greet her.

"Sophie! Oh Sophie I missed you!" Lettie squealed, rushing to the carriage not wasting time in yanking back the door and throwing herself at her sister.

"Lettie! Could I at least get out of the carriage?" Sophie gasped out, sliding to the far end of the carriage.

"Of course! I'm so sorry I was just so excited!" She said laughing, hopping out of the carriage and fixing her skirts. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Sophie loosened her shawl and carefully made her way out. As soon as her boot touched the green grass, her sister had tackled her to the ground in an enthusiastic hug, tickling her senseless.

"L-Lettie! Stop that!" She squeaked out in a fit of laughter. Servants and gardeners alike were all smiling and laughing at their playful mistresses as they assaulted each other with hugs, poking, and tickling.

After a few more minutes of the playful banter, both girls straightened their skirts, fixed their hair, making a failed attempt at regaining a lady-like composition. "Come, Sophie, Cook has dinner ready." Lettie said cheerfully, leading the way into the manor as her butlers came rushing out to gather Sophie's things.

Sophie fidgeted as she listened to her sister ramble on and on about how much she had missed while she was in France between bites of the decadent veal Cook made.

"Oh Sophie, I don't suppose you've found yourself a man yet, have you?" Lettie asked suddenly. She eyeballed her sister. "You jest sister. I'm not interested, you know that. They're all boorish pigs."

Lettie sighed. "You really should find someone you know, I don't want you spending your life alone. No sister of mine is going to be some batty old maid." She said, jabbing the fork in her direction to make a point. Sophie rolled her eyes. "Can we talk about something else? Is there…oh say, anything important for you to talk about?"

Lettie chewed on a carrot thoughtfully for a moment, and then a grey light dawned in her eyes. "Actually Sophie there is, you couldn't have come back at a worse time. I should say, I couldn't have asked you to come and live with me at a worse time."

"Oh? What is it? Pray tell Lettie you're scaring me."

She folded her hands neatly in her lap and stared at her plate for a moment before speaking again. "The vampires…" She mumbled.

An eyebrow shot up. "What? Vampires?"

"Vampires…"She started again, "They have begun to develop…an immunity to the sun to some extent, and some have even left the forest country to live amongst us."

Sophie felt her blood run cold. Vampires were known to be vile, bloodthirsty marble demons that fed on the blood of their prey for energy - human prey, human blood. "How are they getting about this?"

"The King and the vampire Prince signed a treaty. The…civilized vampires follow this treaty." Lettie finished, signaling for the butler to take their plates. She watched as her sister furrowed her brows trying to make sense of the situation. "The Prince…you mean…Howl?"

Lettie nodded. "Yes Howl as in if 'you're a pretty girl, run in the other direction', yes, Howl." Sophie swallowed the rest of her wine in a gulp. "Why then, would our king sign a treaty with their kind?"

"Apparently there is a third race, which is a threat to both us and the vampires, just more of a threat to us. Since we are fighting a common enemy and the King doesn't want to have a war with a race that is superior to us in strength and ability, we can only rely on their protection. The treaty is saving our lives, and putting the vampires at risk."

"Are the vampires not aware of the fact that the treaty is then not favorable for them?"

"You won't understand right off, sister. Come it's late, I will show you to your bed chambers, I am tired, and am sure you are as well." Lettie said, rising from her seat.

"But I want to know more!" Sophie urged, rising herself. Lettie shook her head.

"Another time, we must rest. After all, you do want to explore the market tomorrow, do you not?" Seeing as she was not to get anything else out of her, she nodded in compliance and followed her up the staircase.

"Miss, you should wear this to the market today, its lovely weather outside." A petite maid offered to Sophie, holding up a gown made of a light fabric and strange style she couldn't place. "Thank you, Becky. It is exotic. Where is it from, may I ask?"

Becky smiled warmly at her. "Your sister ordered it be made for you. It came from India, and is called a Sari. The Hindu princess wears one similar to this." Sophie smiled, and hugged the sweet girl. "Thank you, and tell Lettie I said thank you as well."

"Yes Miss." She bowed herself out of the room, gently closing the door. Sophie turned to the mirror and held the sari against her. It really was beautiful. A white vested top with flowing skirts and a large sash that was to be wrapped about the body. She wasn't too fond of gold, but the graceful designs adorning the dress were absolutely lovely. She quickly donned it and looked at herself in the mirror, twirling about. "I love it!" She concluded, tying her hair back into a long braid before flouncing out of the room with her coin bag and made her way out of the manor.

Inhaling the cool sea air, she happily made her way down the market taking in all the sights, sounds and smells she had missed for so long. She soon found however the one thing she did not miss, was the British Guard. The men, well, most of the men, were handsome, but they were pigs. The sari was attracting her more attention from them than she had wanted, and it was getting her vexed.

"Calm down Sophie, no temper tantrums in public, Lettie would kill you." She told herself silently, controlling the urge to slap the smirks off their faces. She inhaled deeply, then let it out slowly. "Alright, there's only one thing to do when I feel like this. Eat pastries!" She said with a sudden grin and need to calm her sweet tooth. Gathering up her skirts, she flounced down the market, only to slow to a stop as she reached the end, looking around. She had forgotten where the bakery was. "Wait, it's on the next street!" She exclaimed, turning heel 

and walking towards her destination.

After ten minutes, she realized that she still didn't remember where the bakery was. "Oh bugger, I keep forgetting where things are…" She continued walking slowly down the street, looking around, hoping to catch a sign saying where the bakery was.

"Hey there." Came a male voice from behind her. She gave a start, spinning around to come face to face with a blonde-haired man. "This little mouse looks lost."

Think quick Sophie! She thought to herself nervously. "Oh no, I'm not lost! I'm sorry, but I was heading to see my sister before I went to the bakery." She lied. Great, like he's going to buy that load of bullocks.

"This little mouse looks thirsty." He continued, seemingly oblivious to her answer.

"Piss off you cur." She hissed, turning to run away when another man blocked her path, jeering her.

"What in God's name is this? A freaks concession?"

"Look, you scared her. You scare all the girls." The blonde man joked. The other scoffed. "I don't flipping care. She's even cuter when she's scared."

"The sea air smells so much better without the stench of human contraptions and their smoke." He said flippantly, breathing deeply. "Lovely weather too. Now for the lovely ladies and a nice day in civilization… human civilization." He turned to head into the market, and then stopped, a strange feeling passing over him.

"Something is not right." He murmured, closing his eyes for a moment. His sensitive ears picked up a female voice, fear and distress clearly ringing in it. Bound by the strange feeling, he headed off to find said woman. He walked past the market as if being pulled by some string, turning down several streets before he found her, being accosted by two soldiers.

"Sweetheart, there you are." He said quickly, draping an arm affectionately over around her tense shoulders, who in turn side-glanced him weirdly. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Sorry to have kept you waiting."

Sophie gazed up at the man nervously, quickly noting his handsome features as he smiled at her reassuringly. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Hey, hey we're busy here!" The first soldier spat.

The man smiled arrogantly at him. "Really? It looked like the two of you were just leaving."

"You've got nerve, you little ass!" The other man snarled, throwing a punch at him. The young man side-stepped him quickly, his separation from Sophie's shoulders a blur. He seemed to vanish only to show up next to the man and smack his head into the brick wall. As the man hit the ground with a thud, the other attacked him with the butt of his rifle, not even grazing his shoulder. Sophie's rescuer grabbed the man's wrist, twisted him around and shoved him to the ground.

"Fine pride of the King's army you are. You should know better than to harass young women you filthy cur." He snarled, stepping on the base of his neck to emphasize his words. Letting go, he backed up to stand next to his little damsel. The soldier pushed himself back up and swung again, only to get a knee full on in the stomach, courtesy of Sophie.

Her savior looked down at her, surprised. "I was aching to do that." She said flashing him a grin that faded quickly. "Behind you!" She screamed pointing past him, but he was ahead of her. The other man had drawn himself up to his full height to attack again, only to be brought down.

"I really was trying to not have to kill you, but it looks like I will now." He growled darkly down at the fallen soldier.

"What the fuck makes you so special that you think you can knock us around like that?" He spat out.

The young man tilted his head to the side and whispered darkly. "I. Am. Howl."

No sooner had the name slipped from his lips, both men shrunk back in fear, the latter whispering, "It's the vampire!" Both men turned tail and ran as Howl's figure grew larger his fangs beginning to protrude obscenely from his seemingly perfectly chiseled mouth. Chuckling, he turned to find Sophie recoiling away from him, tripping over herself in the process.

"I can assure you I mean you no harm. You're lucky I came by when I did." He said, extending a gently hand to her. "V-vampire…" She stuttered out clumsily, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You're n-not eating my heart mister!"

He sighed. "You believe everything you hear? Cannibalism is disgusting."

"Y-you're a vampire, it's what you do, isn't it?"

"Woman, I'll have you know such nonsense is what gets you humans killed. Drinking blood is not cannibalism. Just trust me, I won't hurt you."

She looked up at him nervously. This is not happening. A vampire. VAMPIRE! He was just standing there patiently waiting for her to take his hand. Oh hells bells. Timidly reaching her hand out to his, she reluctantly let him help her up. He smiled brightly at her and she felt her breath catch in her throat again. He's so handsome.

"I will be your escort this evening madam where are you headed?" He asked, giving an exaggerated bow.

"H-home." She choked out, still stunned by his unreal handsome features.

Howl chuckled. "That would be where?"

"Heath Manor, your highness." She breathed out.

"Just Howl, please, Miss? I didn't catch your name."

"I didn't give it." She said smartly, her usual composure coming over her.

"Fair enough. Well let's be off then." He said, gathering her up in his arms.

"What on earth are you doing?!" She shrieked out as she was swept off the ground.

"We're going to fly of course."

She gulped. "F-fly? I'm deathly afraid of heights how about we just walk!" She wriggled out of his arms and pranced off down the street. "Do you even remember where you are going?" He called out to her.

"Of course I do I mean how dif-vampire? Where did you go?" She asked, looking around noticing he just…vanished. "Right here mouse!" He called from above her.

Looking up, she barely caught sight of him as he swooped around behind her and lifted her up into the air. "Oh my lord unhand me!" She shrieked.

Drawing her closer, he whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, I won't drop you."

Reluctantly moving in tighter into his arms, she forced herself to calm and trust him, and just closed her eyes, praying they would get there quickly, lest he crash into a tree. After agonizing minutes passed, he finally spoke again.

"You can open your eyes now, we're here." He stated softly.

"Hmm??" Slowly opening one eye, then the other, she threw herself down to the ground and kissed it. "Never again..." She moaned dramatically.

Laughing, he brought to her feet and ran a quick finger across her lips. She gasped at the sudden gentle gesture.

"You shouldn't kiss something so dirty." He said as a matter-of-factly. "I told you I wasn't going to let you fall silly woman."

She huffed in reply and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Keep doing that and your face is going to get stuck that way, and it would be a shame too, you really a have quite pretty countenance. It's not lady like either."

Sophie couldn't help but blush as his words. It was so hard to believe at the moment that he was the vampire prince she had so many doubts and talked down about the night before with her sister. He was just so different from the stories she had heard. His eyes... His beautiful blue eyes... just seemed so lonely.

"Hello, sweetheart, back to earth."

"Y-yes?"

"You were staring at me with that blank human expression on your face."

"My apologies," She breathed, blushing. "Thank you." She finished, bowing.

"Come now, you don't have to do that. Well I'm sorry to cut the fun short but I have some business to attend to. I must be off." He said, turning away.

"It's Sophie." She said softly to his retreating back. He looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Till next we meet then, Sophie."

She stood in awe as raven feathered wings appeared from his back and he vanished.

So that is the vampire prince…She smiled to herself as she walked towards the mahogany doors of the manor. Howl.

"Definitely not what I had expected." Sighing, she made her way back to her room and dove into her bed, subconsciously smitten by the very being she had come to loathe through years of being exposed to human prejudices.

Definitely different from how it used to be! I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews please! They'll get you the next chapter!

-FaythlessAngel